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Klobuchar, Coleman Urge Key Departments to Expand Transit Solutions for Minneapolis

Letter requests Northstar Commuter Rail, other transit projects see approval immediately

August 7, 2007

Washington, D.C. –U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Norm Coleman today sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Administrator James Simpson, urging them to continue their efforts to help Minnesota recover from the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis. The letter requests the Department to immediately recommend the Northstar Commuter Rail Corridor for a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) to help begin immediate construction of the project.  The letter also seeks to establish an interim Twin Cities Recovery Office in Minneapolis, modeled after the Lower Manhattan Recovery Office in New York, which would enable enhanced short-term cooperation and technical advising between the FTA and the Metropolitan Council.  Third, the letter urges the Department to approve the Minnesota’s Urban Partnership Agreement grant application submitted by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Council to help with congestion mitigation.

The Senators’ letter seeks expeditious and favorable consideration of the three proposals in order to ensure the vitality of commercial interests downtown, increase the mobility of commuters, mitigate traffic congestion, and fund alterative transit projects to relieve the strain on Minnesota’s infrastructure brought on by last week’s disaster.

Full text of the letter is below:

August 6, 2007

Mary E. Peters
Secretary
United States Department of Transportation
400 7th Street Southwest
Washington, D.C. 20590

Mr. James S. Simpson
Administrator
Federal Transit Administration
1200 New Jersey Ave. SE
Washington, DC 20590

Dear Secretary Peters and Administrator Simpson:

We write today to offer our sincere appreciation for all of your efforts in responding to the unprecedented catastrophe that struck Minnesota on Wednesday. History will measure us by our actions in this time of urgent need, and you have proved that effective leadership can overcome many of the challenges that arise in the aftermath of such great tragedy.

After reviewing the impact site and meeting with local officials on the ground this weekend, we would like to ask three specific requests of the Department of Transportation that we believe will drastically improve transportation conditions for the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area in the near term.

First, we ask the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Department of Transportation to immediately establish an interim Twin Cities Recovery Office in Minneapolis in the model of FTA’s highly successful Lower Manhattan Recovery Office in New York City. By including technical experts from FTA and DOT regional and federal offices, a Twin Cities Recovery Office will provide technical assistance and guidance on needed transportation projects to ensure the mobility of commuters and vitality of commercial interests in downtown Minneapolis.

Second, we urge you to provide expedited consideration of the Minnesota’s Urban Partnership Agreement application submitted by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Council. The innovative approach to congestion mitigation outlined in this application would provide Bus Rapid Transit on the I-35W corridor, enhancing the transit network of the region and easing the burden primary transportation arteries as bridge construction moves forward. 

And finally, we ask the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Department of Transportation to immediately recommend the Northstar Commuter Rail Corridor for a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA). Northstar’s application for an FFGA was submitted earlier this summer and is currently under review. The collapse of the I-35W bridge has placed an enormous strain on the transportation infrastructure of the Twin Cities. Northstar represents one of the most readily available alternatives to ease the congestion and delays caused by the bridge’s collapse.

The timing of Northstar’s approval has never been more critical. We plan to work with our colleagues to limit or waive the mandatory 60-day Congressional review period which will begin upon FTA’s favorable recommendation of Northstar’s application. Each day that passes without approval of Northstar’s FFGA slows construction of the project and its positive impact on the metropolitan area’s transportation network. Immediately approving Northstar’s Full Funding Grant Agreement will allow state funding to flow to the project’s construction immediately while reimbursing local entities as they pursue additional transportation solutions in the wake of the bridge collapse.

The recovery and rebuilding efforts have only just begun for the Twin Cities. We have no doubt that in the coming days and weeks we will find additional areas where state and local officials will require our assistance at the federal level, including the Northstar project, and we look forward to partnering with you as we move forward with necessary actions.

Thank you in advance for consideration of these requests.

Sincerely,


Amy Klobuchar

Norm Coleman                                                             

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